It Begins... Again: Chapters Four and Five
by Crow
Summary: Conclusion! Raye is kidnapped, but there is more to her it would seem... Next fic: Traitors.


Disclaimer: Mighty Ducks and all its related logos and characters belong to Disney, NOT me, and are used without permission or payment on my part. Cleech, Raye, and any character you don't recognize from the series belong to and were created by me, and may NOT be used without my specific permission. Sorry. 

##  It Begins...Again

**Chapter Four**

Cleech stared uneasily at the ice rink. It had been a long while since he'd really done any skating, though the majority of Puckworld was practically born on ice skates. Living in the warm southern areas made it kinda difficult for that, however, and he'd never been much of a conformist anyway. He was beginning to regret that. 

And the creature, Phil, had cornered him again, waving papers at him. 

"....why they might even make another Indiana Jones series, starring a duck instead of Harrison Ford, since he's a bit old and is losing his sex-appeal, but that's okay! It leaves room for other people to fill his place! Not to mention the Marlboro ads you could do, action figures...maybe Disney will start the series again!" 

He seemed pretty excited about that, it was the fifth time he'd mentioned it now. Cleech decided the best escape route was over the ice, since the chubby manager didn't look like he could skate. The irritated duck pulled on some extra ice skates and slid shakily out onto the ice. Well, it wasn't as bad as he'd expected it to be, after all the years. Maybe the sayings were true, then....like riding a bicycle. The only problem was, the talkative manager had followed him out onto the ice, even without skates. And he seemed to be keeping pretty good balance. Shit..... 

"Phil! Not now," came a voice from the lockers. Phil pouted. 

"Aw, Duke baby, I was on a role here!" 

"Later, Phil," the former thief growled, moving effortlessly across the cold surface. He gave Cleech a look that meant business. 

Phil walked away, muttering to himself. Duke skated around for a while, while Cleech tried to look unconcerned. 

Finally, Duke slid up to the Eastside duck and glared at him. Cleech returned the favor with a cold stare. 

"She's fifteen," Duke said. Cleech blinked. He'd expected a 'stay away from her,' attitude, 'she's too young for you,' but this was news to him. 

"Really? She looks older." 

"Acts it too. I don't know what happened to her. I know I'd like to seriously hurt the person who made her like this, if it actually _was_ a person. As it is, I know nothing of her past. Even Callie didn't know her true age: Raye doesn't like people to know, because she thinks they won't take her seriously. But I'm telling you now, so you don't do anything you'll regret." 

"I've done a lot o' things I regret, L'orange, and a lot more things I probably _should_ regret, but don't. Anyway, what makes y' think I'm goin' t' try anythin'?" 

"Dumb question. I've _seen_ the way you look at her. _She's_ seen the way you look at her, for that matter, and believe me, pissing her off is the _last_ thing you want to do." 

"Is tha' a _threat_, L'orange?" 

"Not from _me_, it isn't. You really don't know her that well, do you?" 

Cleech had to admit he didn't. But whoever said he was after her anyway? Looking wasn't a crime, and she was certainly an eyefull... 

"Look, I'm not after yer lass, L'orange. She's a cute kid, but not m' type," he insisted. Duke smiled like he didn't really believe that. 

"Well, just so we're clear..." he ignited his sword. Cleech slid back a couple of feet involuntarily, instinctively reaching for his whip, though he knew Duke wouldn't actually try anything yet. 

"...if you hurt her I'll do ten times worse," Duke snarled, then abruptly turned and skated back to the lockers, leaving Cleech standing alone on the ice in silence. 

"Shit...." he muttered after a few minutes. 

*

Wildwing knocked on Grin's door, not expecting an answer. Usually, if the door was closed, he was meditating, and that meant _no one_ was going to be able to draw him out of his oneness. However, the young leader heard a deep "Come in," to his surprise. Well, here goes... 

This was probably the first time he'd really tried to talk to the most mysterious member of his team. Truth be told, Wildwing felt a tad guilty about that, but it couldn't be helped. Anyway, up till now, Grin seemed fine on his own. 

The large duck still had that gloomy feel around him. Something was dampening his aura, Wildwing thought, and almost laughed, stopping himself in the nick of time. That wouldn't help at all! 

"Something troubling you Grin?" 

"My past has come back to haunt me. Karma is indeed a pain in the ass," Grin grumbled, to Wildwing's absolute shock. That was a first! 

"What are you talking about?" 

"Is it not obvious? Then perhaps it is not for you to know." 

The young team leader considered being offended. He decided against it. 

"Just don't let it get in the way of your duties, okay?" He said as he left. Well, _that_ went remarkably well, he though to himself as he walked down the hall. He nearly collided with Duke, coming from the opposite direction. The older duck looked annoyed. 

"Oh great, _you_ too? Has some sort of bad-mood epidemic set in or something?" 

Duke gave him a puzzled look. 

"Never mind," Wildwing said, shaking his head. "So what ails you?" 

"Cleech." 

"'Nuff said. What'd he do, threaten your life?" 

"No, he's just been coming on to Raye. You know how it goes." 

"Oh. Well, I'll leave that to you to sort out then, if you don't mind. I usually avoid such matters when possible. Just don't shed any blood, okay?" 

"I won't make any promises," the Southside duck muttered, glancing back in the direction of the ice rink. Great, Wildwing thought. I wonder what's next in store for my list of things to worry about? I suppose I should go check on Canard.... 

He quickly excused himself, heading for Medbay. Tanya was, as usual, running tests on the two unconscious ducks. She had a certain dedication to her science that Wildwing had to admire, though there was not much else he admired about her. She was good enough in a fight, if she could use her mental skills, but it stopped about there. And he'd never get used to her stuttering. 

Wildwing quickly pushed these thoughts out of his head, instantly regretting them. Tanya did her best, even if if _he_ didn't think it was good enough at times. She was a scientist, not a warrior, and Wildwing was far from perfection himself. Tanya glanced up from her specs. 

"Oh, uh, hi! I didn't notice you there!" 

"How are they doing?" 

"Same as before. I can't find, like, anything, um, ph-ph-physically wrong with them...the, uh, um, only explanation I can, um, determine is, um, severe traumatic shock..." 

Wildwing nodded, sighing inwardly. "That doesn't come as much of a surprise," He stated flatly, sitting down at his post next to Canard. Tramatic shock, yeah. A year in limbo could do that, he thought, twisting the knife further. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. 

"Wildwing? It'll be okay. It wasn't you're fault," Tanya said softly. He turned slightly to look at her. 

"Thanks," he said. "I wish I shared you're conviction." 

"You can't blame yourself for this!" 

"Why not?" He asked, not bothering to cover his annoyance and bitterness. "I should have done something. If I had...." 

He broke off, noticing the look on her face. A grim line had settled in her mouth: she was actually angry! 

"Look," she began, actually hauling him out of his seat to his feet. She was surprisingly strong all of a sudden! 

"You're a good leader, Wildwing! Canard wouldn't have left the Mask and the role of leadership in the hands of someone he didn't think could handle it. I know you don't think particuarly highly of me, and frankly I don't care, but I refuse to put up with watching you tear yourself apart for something you couldn't control! It....it won't help them either....." Tanya said quietly, gesturing to the two comatose ducks. She turned away and started to work again on the secs, blinking away angry tears. Wildwing stood there a moment, stunned to silence. She hadn't stuttered through that whole thing! Maybe she was just a victim of low self-confidence....yeah, he knew about that. He suddenly felt very guilty, looking at her. He walked quietly up to her and touched her shoulder. 

"I'm...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..." 

"It's okay," Tanya sniffed. "I'm worried too. But you can't, um, can't, uh.....I gotta, y'know, finish up here. Doesn't the Migrator need some working on?" 

"Yeah," he said slowly, taking the hint and leaving. He glanced a silent apology at Canard as he went. 

*

"Hey...hey I don't want him stickin' that in my...."* 

Laughter pealed throughout the theater. Nosedive noted that even Raye smiled a little. But then she leaned over to him. 

"Well, Nosedive? You didn't ask me here for the entertainment, or so you claimed..." 

"Er, right. You see, the fight yesterday...uh..." 

"Yes?" She asked, a little too casually. He opened his mouth again, and found it stuffed full of popcorn. Coughing, he spit it out and looked for the perp who'd tried to choke him. The would-be assassin (or perhaps assassin_s_ would be more correct, turned out to be his two best human friends, who were sitting right behind him and Raye. 

"Heyo, Dive-O! How's it hanging?" Asked Thrash, stuffing a handul of popcorn in his mouth. 

"Urgh. The usual. Whuzzup? I though you swore off Disney stuff after they cancelled our show and Gargoyles." 

Thrash grimaced, half-chewed popcorn hanging from his mouth. 

"Sick!" Mookie frowned, forcibley closing his mouth. She glanced at Nosedive, then at Raye. 

"Hey, you're new! What's your name, girlfriend?" 

"Raye," the person in question responded coolly. 

"Thass cool. You here to save the world too?" 

"Perhaps," Raye responded, drawing a puzzled look from Nosdive. Why else _would_ she be here, except to save one of their worlds? Maybe he was just misinterpretting her meaning.... 

Somebody in front hissed at them to shut up before they came up and beat their faces in or something to that effect. The guy was big enough, so they all hushed up and sat still till Mookie leaned foreward and said "What's a big boy like _him_ watching a Disney movie for anyway?" 

"Maybe he bought the wrong ticket or something..." Nosedive whispered back, bringing giggles from the two. Raye sighed, a bit annoyed. She hadn't wanted a date, and this was turning into one. Noting this, Nosedive leaned over to her. 

"Yeah, like I was saying....while we were fighting, I saw...something....Okay, what I wanna know is....um, are you a witch?" 

She raised an eyebrow at him, but whatever she was going to say next was interrupted by an explosion. 

"Aw _shit_! Can't you guys leave us alone for one minute?" Nosedive groaned as Drones appeared in excess, along with Siege and Wraith. Screaming, the movie-going crowd fled in every direction, and, thankfully, the Saurians left them alone. They were after only one thing... 

"We meet again," Wraith grinned at Raye. She icily smiled at him. 

"Pleasure's all mine." 

Nosedive didn't like the interaction going on, though he hardly understood why. He reached for his pucklauncher, when a shot was fired from behind him, grazing his arm. Looking around, he realized they were surrounded. Thrash and Mookie had fled as well, to his relief, But there was no escape for the two ducks. Raye looked more amused and annoyed than afraid, however. 

"So, what can we do for you?" 

Wraith simply smiled at her as Siege pulled out an odd looking weapon and shot at her. She winced, feeling the projectile enter her arm, and glanced down to see a syringe sticking in her flesh. 

"Oh...damn....." she said as she lost consciousness. 

"That takes care of that," Wraith sighed. Nosedive bent down to check Raye's pulse. She was alive, but whatever they'd pumped her full off had done its job. She wouldn't be back to the waking world anytime soon. He glared at the Saurians as they approached. Not was a word was spoken, however, as they were teleported back to the Raptor. 

Draganus was waiting expectantly. 

"Good. Very good. Prepare the ritual as you need. Just make sure she's secure. I don't want this going awry. And as for _you_..." he said, looking at Nosedive, then turning to Siege, "Tie him up where he can watch. This should prove amusing." 

Nosedive looked at him in confusion, then at Siege just in time to see the fist, but not in time to duck it. He was knocked unconscious instantly, and the huge Saurian set about his work. 

*

The alarm had gone off at the moment of the Saurians' teleportation, but the ducks still had not been fast enough. They surveyed the wreckage of the theater, Wildwing inwardly kicking himself and wishing he could do the same to his little brother. How could Nosedive have been so _stupid_?! He knew better than this, he was smarter than this...the young leader glanced at Duke, then at Cleech. The former was questioning Thrash and Mookie, who'd been present during the explosion. The latter looked grim, a little angry. Wildwing didn't like to think what might be running through his head at the moment, so he approached Duke instead. 

"Man, I thought he was right behind us, man! Aw man..." Thrash looked like he wanted to cry. Mookie looked scared. 

"Do you think they'll come back? Maybe I should get my gun..." 

"You aren't supposed to have one of those," Wildwing told her sternly, ignoring the fact that Nosedive was the same age as them, and _he_ carried a pucklauncher at all times. 

"It happened real fast, according to these two," Duke explained. "They came crashing through the wall, like before. Nice entrance. Draws a lot of attention, demands a lot of fear, gets the crowds to run, leaving our two kids to fend for themselves. They were surrounded, out-numbered, and out-powered. Didn't stand a chance." 

"At least they didn't kill them," Wildwing sighed, noting the appearance of the police. Klegghorn marched up to the ducks' leader. 

"Alright, what's the story?" 

"Draganus, Captain. He's kidnapped my brother and another younger member of the team-" 

"Who's that?" Klegghorn interrupted, pointing at Cleech, who eyed the short human with a glum form of disgust. 

"Cleech. We have two new ducks with us. One of them was captured with my brother." 

"Right," the police captain said, glaring uncertainly at the tall, brown duck, then turning back to Wildwing. "Sorry about your brother. We'll do what we can." 

"Thank you, sir," Wildwing said, knowing that the humans wouldn't be able to help in the slightest. At least they meant well, but this was beyond their abilities. 

"Hey," Cleech said suddenly. "What in...?" He bent down and picked up something from the ground. 

"What's that?" Duke asked, moving closer to see. 

"A syringe, it looks like," said Tanya. She took the object from Cleech and inserted it into some part of the Omnitool, then typed something into a panel above it. Cleech whistled in appreciation. 

"That's a bloody _sweet_ piece o' equipment, lass!" 

"Thank you," Tanya smiled shyly. Her eyes widened suddenly. 

"Uh oh..." 

"Uh oh? Uh oh's not good. What do you mean by 'uh oh'?" Wildwing asked. 

"By the contents of what's left in the needle, this was some kind of tranquilizer, but more powerful than, like, um, well, than anything _I've_ ever seen." 

"How powerful?" Wildwing pushed, not liking the look on her face. 

"It's mixed with something I've never seen before, but....the few drops left over would kill everyone in this room instantly..." Tanya said, giving him an unreadable look. Silence spread among them. 

"Shit," Cleech muttered finally. "Are ye sure this actually hit one o' them?" 

"There's um, y'know, blood on the needle," Tanya sighed. 

Wildwing wanted to ask who's, but didn't feel it would be right. So they'd lost one of their own. maybe both. Draganus was going to pay dearly for this, whether it was Raye or Nosedive. 

"Get a lock on Nosedive's com," he ordered, heading for the Migrator. 

*

Nosedive awoke to an uncomfortable feeling in his limbs. His head hurt, and he desperately tried to remember why that should be so. Wait, this wasn't his room...... 

The Raptor. He'd forgotten. Siege must've hit him pretty hard! He scanned his surroundings. 

This was creepy. Really creepy. The room was large, but mostly bare aside in the way of technology. Instead, the floor was littered with candles of varying color, width, and height. The flames coming from these candles provided the only light in the room, and as Nosedive's eyes adjusted he noticed odd markings on the floor, enclosed in a circle drawn with what appeared to be blood. 

Ridiculously, his first thought was 'good thing Disney didn't continue through to _this_ ep...." He suddenly recognized Raye, who was still out of it. She'd been laid in the center of the circle, with two iron shackles chained to her wrists. Nosdive found this all a bit odd. Why had they taken such care to keep _her_ there, and only tied _him_ up to some pipes in the corner, almost as an afterthought? He felt a little indignant, truth be told. They barely knew _her_, while _he_'d been their enemy for over a year! He heard a hiss of a door opening, hushing his thoughts to the matter at hand. Wraith, Chameleon, and Draganus entered, ignoring him and watching Raye with....fear? Uncertainty? He couldn't be sure. 

"You'd better be right about this, Wraith," Draganus hissed menacingly. 

"You should worry more about my getting the incantation right, my Lord. This is a very tedious business, at this point," the saurian wizard replied, clutching his staff to him for support. He focused on Raye, gathering the neccesary magic, and muttering what sounded like meaningless syllables. After a few minutes, he pulled a bell out of the folds of his robes. Nosdive briefly wondered what else he kept there, since the tall saurian was already pretty skinny. 

"Awake," Wraith ordered, ringing the bell once. 

Raye slowly sat up. Nosedive restrained from gasping. Her eyes were glowing a bright golden color, and there was a strange look on her face, a creepy sort of smile that sent chills up his spine. 

"You called, little wizard?" 

That wasn't her voice at all! It had a higher tone than usual, and sounded like she was on the verge of laughing - not very nicely, though. Like she was mocking someone or something. And it sounded really old at the same time. Nosedive gulped, wishing he was still unconscious. 

Even the saurians looked a little shaken. 

"I did," Wraith said, trying to appear calm. "I wish to make an offer-" 

"What makes you think I'd want anything you have to offer, little spellcaster? Surely I could have taken it anytime, if that were so?" 

Wraith took an uncertain step backwards. 

"You cannot leave the circle. According to the rules, you are powerless. The iron shackles further ensure this. Physically and magically, you are powerless-" 

"Methinks you protest too much, magician. Isn't it a bad sign to repeat yourself?" She smiled a little wider. "But it's true, I am, at the present, helpless. And what is it you intend to do? Kill me? Surely you know of the consequences...." 

"We have no wish to destroy you, Lady," Wraith said. Nosedive was surprised to hear him address her with such respect. He really wished he knew what the heck was going on. 

"Your enemies are on their way here as we speak, Draganus," Raye said, glancing at the Overlord. "If there is something you have planned, I strongly suggest you order it done while you have the time." 

"Wraith?" 

"Er...Yes. We're offering you a new body....his," Wraith said, gesturing to Chameleon. The smaller saurian looked surprised by this news. 

"What?! But I--" 

"Him? _Him_? You think I'd want to give up this body, which I'm more than satisfied with, for the time being, to live in _that_ creatures shriveled frame? Tell, me, why don't you offer you're own body, Wraith? Aren't you curious about how it feels? Don't you want to know?" 

Wraith was beginning to look _very_ uncomfortable. Chameleon didn't look particularly happy either, for that matter, and was looking around for some sort of excuse to get out of this, muttering "_this_ wasn't in my contract you backstabbers!" 

"Whether you choose to renounce that body or not doesn't matter," Draganus growled, becoming annoyed with the time wasted. Raye smiled unpleasantly. 

"Do your worst, reptile." 

Draganus turned to Wraith. "Do what you must. I will be in the main bay keeping an eye out for our enemies." 

"Waitaminute! You can't just-" Chameleon started after him, and was frozen in place by Wraith's magic. Draganus gave him a disgusted look. 

"Consider it punishment for your desertion during that Atlantis episode." 

Chameleon couldn't respond, but his fear and anger were evident in his eyes. The Overlord ignored this, however, and continued on his way, teleporting out of the room. 

"Well, now," Wraith said cheerfully, turning to his teammate. He waved a finger at him, and the smaller saurian was moved telekinetically to face Raye. 

Nosedive had to feel a little sorry for Chameleon, even if he was an enemy. Having your own kind turn on you without warning is probably the worst thing to have happen. Apparently Raye (or whoever it was) was having the same thought. 

"So now you turn on one of your own to get me to work with you? I'm honored. Really. You better damn well hope he's more forgiving than I am, Wraith." 

Wraith attempted to ignore this as he made the final preparations for the transfer. 

*

"Well of all the corny disguises I've seen the Raptor take, this one's taken the cake, the candles, and the entire birthday decor with it!" Mallory stated. 

They were looking at an ancient castle, right on the outskirts of Anaheim! 

"What I want to know is why no one ever reports this sort of thing. Humans are so weird," Wildwing replied. 

"You're tellin' me," Cleech muttered. Suddenly drones came pouring out of the front gate, followed by Siege. 

"Here comes the calvary," said Duke. Grin and Tanya were, again, left at the Pond to keep an eye on the comatose ducks, and the rest of them were still weakened by the last encounter with the saurians. Wildwing just hope they were up to this......   


###  Chapter Five

Draganus watched the battle below with some anxiety. Perhaps it would have been best to leave Wildwing's younger brother behind when they'd taken Raye. The young leader of the ducks was obviously upset, and unfortunately for the saurians, this improved his fighting ability. Draganus realized with some trepidation that he'd eventually have to take part in the fight himself if things continued as they were. 

He quickly reassured himself with the thought that Wildwing was just as mortal as he, and would eventually tire, vengeance or no. He'd just wait him out, then take him down. Simple enough. He hoped things were going well for his sorcerer. 

An enormous tremor suddenly shook the ship, nearly knocking the overlord off his feet. An earthquake, now? It would certainly be impeccabley timed, if it were. 

"Computer, what was the source of that quaking?" He demanded. The computer system responded with a "busy" blink, then flashed some coordinates. Draganus looked at the screen for a few minutes in silence, then growled in frustration. 

"Shit," he muttered. It was coming from the area Wraith was performing his spell. _Now_ what? He didn't want to interrupt, he'd already seen the effects of _that_. He'd just have to hope this was normal for this kind of attempt.... 

*

"....Not as easy....as you thought it would be....eh, little hand wizard?" Raye sounded a little winded, but otherwise hanging in well to....whatever was going on. Nosedive still wasn't entirely sure, and didn't think he absolutely wanted to know. 

Chameleon didn't seem to be doing well, however. Whether he was unconscious or in shock was anybody's guess. All Nosedive could think was, _he's gonna be mad when he coumes out of that._ **If** he comes out of that, the duck corrected himself. But how could Draganus simply waste one of his own like that? He didn't have many henchmen to spare. Not that this was a bad thing, but it seemed an awfully heartless and stupid thing to do, and Draganus wasn't stupid. That's what worried Nosedive. The overlord usually had some sort of back-up for everything, part of the reason he was still around. If so.....He didn't want to think about that, so he concentrated on Raye. 

Wraith wasn't responding to her jibes anymore. He was obviously strained, clinging to his staff. Nosedive could see energies swirling around the duck's skull on top, and was reminded of the battle at the photoshoot. What did that staff have to do with anything? Raye was interested in it, or so it had seemed. Probably just something else he didn't want to know. 

Now would be a good time to be rescued. Nosedive struggled at his bonds. The saurians had been a bit sloppy, and left him his com. Which meant Wildwing and company were on their way, if they weren't here already. The communicator also provided a sharp edge, which was just what he needed to cut these ropes..... 

*

Cleech was actually enjoying himself, despite the situation. He took out three drones at once with his whip, which was on the highest setting now. He remembered first using this thing, when he was a fresh-faced kid. He'd ended up cutting his forehead and earning the name "scarface" til it healed. Good thing it wasn't charged at the time. Right now, it would've killed him without time to say "Owch." Even on the lowest setting, it would've sent him into a coma. 

The drones were by no means enjoying it, that was certain. Cleech gleefully snapped left and right, cutting himself a decent-sized opening to the Raptor. Wildwing saw what he was doing and followed suit. No way was that maniac going in on his own. 

He'd reached Cleech's side by the time the older duck had reached the entrance. Cleech glared at him. 

"Gotta problem?" 

"Not a one," Wildwing responded, shooting over the older duck's shoulder and taking out another drone. 

Siege suddenly charged the two with a roar, letting loose with his blaster. Wildwing threw up a shield, gesturing to Cleech to continue forward. The two ducks ran inside under a barrage of fire. 

The door slammed shut behind them. 

Cleech let out a stream of explicits. It was pitch black inside. 

"It's just a little dark. Easily remedied," WIldwing muttered, pulling a box of matches out of his pocket. He struck one up and peered around. 

"Uh, Cleech? All that stuff you just said? You say it again, now," Wildwing gulped. They were surrounded by drones. 

*

"Almost done," Wraith said, a trickle of sweat running unhindered down the side of his misshapen brow. He was getting too old for this sort of work. Raye just looked at him. She still had no intension of going easily. 

"Almost done," Nosedive mumbled, still rubbing at the ropes. His com was going to be in pretty bad shape after this, though. Maybe he ought to write a book: "101 Ways to Use Your Wristcom!" He almost giggled at the idea, but thought better of it. No need to draw attention to himself at the moment. 

Finally, the rope snapped. Nosedive quickly started shaking it loose. Wraith noticed the movement. 

"You have chosen a very bad time to-" 

The door was suddenly blown open, interrupting his speech, and Cleech and Wildwingmade their entrance, Wildwing still shielding them both from the heavy fire power. Wraith snarled, passing a worried glance at Raye, who was smiling sweetly at him. Good, the circle had not been broken by the debris. That was a stroke of pure luck. 

"Oh, I'd say the timin' was perfect," Cleech grinned, prepping his whip. Wraith scowled, then revealed a gun hidden in his robe. He aimed it at Raye's head. 

"Make your move, Duck." 

Cleech frowned, wondering what he should do. Wildwing was going to be overrun soon, so he had to think fast. Suddenly, a shadow fell over him. He looked up, and his jaw dropped. 

"No...yer dead!" 

"Ah, _there_ you are, Spectre," Wraith said pleasantly. "Please see to this annoyance." 

Even Raye looked a little taken back. She muttered something incongnitable as the huge saurian grabbed Cleech's right arm. 

The next few events happened far too fast, yet to Cleech it seemed to be in slow motion. Nosedive made a dive for Wraith's weapon. The younger duck managed to knock the wizard off his feet, which also loosened some of his concentration, releasing Chameleon. The shapeshifter angrily aimed his wrist-laser at Wraith and opened fire. Wildwing was shotting at the drones still trying to get in the door. 

Cleech struggled against the iron grip on his arm. The claws were cutting into his flesh, and he could see blood trickling out from underneath. His hand was turning blue. Gritting his teeth against the pain as the saurian lifted him off the ground, he pulled a knife from a hidden leg-sheath and stabbed it into Spectre's side. The saurian screamed in pain and fury and tore through Cleech's flesh. 

It took Cleech a moment to realize that his arm was no longer connected to his body. In fact, it took him a few moments to notice anything except the sudden pain that shook every nerve in his body. He stared in shock at the limb laying uselessly on the ground before him. It occured to him that Spectre had dropped him. The saurian was now fighting Wildwing. Why wasn't that stupid Northsider guarding the door? 

Oh. The door was sealed now. Chameleon had locked it. Now the short saurian was fiddling with some side panel. Cleech watched, fascinated, as the blood trickled across the floor, to the designs Wraith had drawn around Raye. The red liquid washed away a small fraction of the lines. The circle was broken. 

He'd expected something marvelous to happen. Cleech didn't know what the heck was going on, but Raye had not seemed herself when he and Wildwing'd first entered. Somehow, he'd expected a light show, something. Instead, Raye just blinked in confusion. 

"What? Where am....Oh my god! Cleech!" 

He felt himself losing consciousness. It would be so easy.....No, he had to stay awake. He didn't remember why exactly...... 

Chameleon finally got the right code in. Damn them all, he wasn't going to be treated this way! To his satisfaction, the chains holding Raye in place fell away. She stood uncertainly, clueless to what had happened. Then she rushed to Cleech's side. 

"Cleech! Stay awake. Whatever you do, stay awake! Shit, you're bleeding all over the place." 

"Heheh....that....has been known...t' happen, Lass....erk," Cleech grinned weakly. Raye gave him a smile, to humor him. 

"You gotta gun?" 

"....yeah -ugn!- in m' left boot. Get that....that bastard....for me will ye?" 

"No problem." Raye retreaved the weapon and, without moving from her position, aimed at Spectre's head and shot. The saurian dropped dead. 

Wraith growled, then decided that it would be best to make his escape now. He teleported out, leaving the ducks and Chameleon alone. The shapeshifter glanced around, wondering what to do. Wildwing approached him. 

"So now what, Chameleon? Is it a truce?" 

"I.....I can't....." the saurian was definitely not his normal, jovial self. Before they could say anything, the saurian teleported away. 

"To Drake knows where," Wildwing murmered, knowing that Chameleon could never return to Draganus' favor now. He felt a bit sorry for him. 

They had a bigger problem now, though. The drones were breaking down the door. And there was no way out. 

"Guys," Raye said, drawing the other two ducks' attention. She was holding something very familiar in her hand. It was a wrist teleporter! 

"Where did you get that?!" Wildwing asked in confusion. 

"I filched it off of Spectre over there, after our first meeting. Duke taught me well," she said with an ironic smirk. She glanced down at Cleech, who was now babbling quietly to himself. "He needs medical attention, now," she told the team leader. She'd wrapped a piece of cloth around the stump, but the bleeding had not yet stopped. Wildwing nodded, then tapped his Com. 

"Mallory, Duke, get outta there and meet us back at the Pond." 

Mallory started to protest, obviously incredulous, but Wildwing repeated the order, this time more sternly. Then he stepped over to Raye, along with Nosedive. He gave his brother a glare, letting him know his was in for it, then nodded to Raye again. 

The girl teleported them all back to the Pond. 

Or just outside it. 

"Dammit! I forgot about the shield!" Wildwig snarled. Cleech stumbled to his feet. 

"We left m' arm," he said, obviously not completely with it. Wildwing winced, and helped get the older duck inside and down to sick bay. 

"Oh, uh, it's you!" Tanya said, surprised and pleased at the same time. Then she frowned, seing Cleech, and not seeing Duke or Mallory. 

"What-" 

"The others are on their way. Cleech needs help, fast." 

Tanya quickly set to stopping the wound (or what was left of it), while Raye stood by, trying to conceal her worry. Nosedive touched her arm. 

"What happened back there?" 

"Back where?" Raye asked, giving him a puzzled look. 

"....Don't you remember?" 

"I remember the movie theater. I remember being shot with some kind of tranquilizer, then waking up in the Raptor to see Cleech minus an arm..." 

"That's it?" 

"What else happened?" 

Nosedive opened his mouth and closed it. This was beyond strange. This was scary. He backed away a little. 

"Um, nothing. Nothing at all," he said lamely, starting away. He was met by his brotehr. 

"_We_ have some talking to do. I don't know how you're both still alive, but you could have been killed thanks to your stupidity. Come on..." He grabbed his brother by the arm and led him out of the room. 

Tanya gave Cleech a shot of morphine, putting him temporarily out of pain, then finished bandaging what was left of his arm. She looked at Raye. 

"He'll survive....he's pretty, y'know, tough....but without an arm he's going to be handicapped." 

"No way he'll live with that," Raye sighed. "If I know Cleech, he'll probably put a bullet through his head when he comes to. Unless...." 

She looked thoughtful, a sudden creative light sparking in her eyes. 

"What?" Tanya wanted to know. 

"What do you know about cybernetics?" 

Tanya saw where she was going. 

"Can you build him an arm?" the older woman asked. 

"If I can find the equipment. It should be a snap." 

Tanya nodded and handed her a card. 

"You can get pretty much anything at Lectricland. They deliver, too, so just give 'em a call." 

Raye nodded eagerly, glad to have something to do. She glanced one last time at Cleech before leaving to find a phone. 

It was just as the Migrator was pulling up that Canard and Lucretia simutaniously woke up. 

And began to scream.... 

_Finis_

Next: **"Traitors"**. 

_*- I haven't seen this movie...yet. Please don't get on my case. I've only seen the previews! So sue me, I'm not rich! And movies here cost a pain to go see!_   



End file.
